Fayose behind fuel scarcity, APC alleges

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of alleged complicity in the fuel supply crisis in the state.

In a statement by the state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party said it was in possession of “incontrovertible evidence” that the governor was allegedly contributing to the scarcity of fuel in the state to sabotage the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Accusing Fayose and his aides of mischievously disparaging the President for not doing enough to make fuel available to Nigerians while they were the actual culprits, Olatunbosun said available information confirmed that daily allocations of fuel to the state were allegedly being diverted to other states with the alleged connivance of some National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas officials.

But reacting, Fayose’s Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, said the allegation was unfounded, telling the APC to be wise.

“Is it the governor that is also responsible for fuel scarcity in other states? They are only trying to seek relevance. They better face the task of bringing good governance to the people,” he added.

Olatunbosun said available records revealed that 10 trailers of fuel for Ekiti State on Fayose’s request were diverted mostly to stations outside the state.

“The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mrs Dupe Alade, had earlier written for same allocation but her letter to NNPC was stepped down when Fayose used his office to request for the allocation of fuel to 10 filling stations, many of which do not exist in Ekiti State.

“The governor’s letter was addressed to the Area Manager at Mosimi and minuted to Ore and was processed by the Ore office of NNPC.

“The trailers were loaded on Wednesday and Thursday the 20th and 21st of April but the real fuel companies and vendors were prevented from loading until the 10 trailers demanded by the governor left the depot but were diverted to other stations outside Ekiti State,” he stated.

Olatunbosun stated that the development reportedly elicited protests and complaints from the real fuel marketers in Ekiti State, adding that this had resulted in acute shortage of fuel in the state with few stations dispensing fuel selling at prohibitive costs to the masses that Fayose claimed to be their friends.

He listed the company names in the letter of the governor to include Amsek Filling Station opposite Omolayo along Ikere road, Ado-Ekiti, that is selling above official price.

“Other stations not in existence in Ekiti State but which appeared in the governor’s letter is Royal Oil, which the letter falsely claimed to exist in Omuo-Ekiti.

“Rova Oil, also on the governor’s letter, no longer exists in Ekiti because it has since been sold and its name changed and it is now operating under NNPC. It is located in Ajilosun area of the state capital and selling above NNPC official price.

“Other non-existent stations in Ekiti but which appeared in the governor’s letter and was allocated fuel is Bisi Jay located in Ile-Oluji in Ondo State.

“The other company that received Ekiti State’s allocation is Ademur located in Osun State. This company has no station in Ekiti and it has no lifting right or permit in Ore, while Eyeowa Fuel that got allocation does not exist in Ekiti,” he explained.

He alleged that Moson Global located in Ifon, Ondo State, also received Ekiti allocation at NNPC official price but selling above official price to the public.

He challenged the governor to deny ever writing to the NNPC for fuel allocation.

“There is need for the security agencies and the Minister for Petroleum to investigate the governor’s activities at the NNPC offices both in Ore and Mosimi and the roles of NUPENG officials in this wicked unleashing of pains on Ekiti people by unpatriotic act to sabotage the Federal Government,” he added.